Illuminated sign.



No. 644,015. Patented Feb. 20, I900.

P. JEAN & A. BOUCHON.

ILLUMINATED SIGN.

(Application filed Jan. 19, 1899.1

2 Sheets-Sheot I.

(No Model.)

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m: cams PzTsRs cc. Pnmouruo. WASHINGTON, u. c.

No. 644,0!5. Patented Feb. 20,1900.

P. JEAN & A. BUUCHUN. ILLUMINATED SIGN.

(Application filed Jan. 19, 189 9.) (No Model.) 2 sneetsshaot 2.

Witnesses:

-' NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL JEAN AND ALBERT BOUOHON, or PARIS, FRANCE.

ILLUMINATED SIGN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 644,015, dated February20, 1900.

Application filed January 19, 1899. Serial No. 702,647. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, PAUL JEAN and AL- BERT BoUoHoN, citizens of theRepublic of France, residing at Paris, France, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Illuminated Signs, of whichwe declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof.

Our invention consists in a method of illuminating which has for itsobject to produce for the purpose of luminous advertisement, decoration,and thelike, with theaid of apparatus of moderate dimensions, intenseluminous effects similar to those which would be produced by letterswhich are out out separately from a bright metallic sheet or plate andthat are intensely illuminated by means of an electric projector-lamp insuch a manner as to show up the said letters very sharply and withmetallic reflection in the darkness of the night. This method ofilluminating affords the maximum visibility, but is inapplicable,because it requires special conditions which shall allow of placing theprojector at a sufficient distance for illuminating uniformly the wholeof the design.

Our method consists, substantially, first, in substituting for cut-outletters a continuous plate or backing having a smooth bright surface orwhich may be undulating, crimped,

or ornamented in any suitable manner, but' in all cases beingilluminated in an intense and uniform manner by one of the meanshereinafter described, and, second, in placing at a small distance infront of said backing relatively to the observer an opaque wall of adark color which is not illuminated on its front side and in which arecut openings in the form of the letters, designs, or devices of any kindwhich are to be shown up by the illumination. This perforated wall thusshows externally only those parts of the bright backing which can beseen through the cutout devices that are shown up powerfully on thefront dark surface of the said wall, so that the design formed by thecut-out portions is shown very sharply in light.

Figures 1, 2, and3 are sectional diagrammatic views illustratingdiiferent forms of our invention. Fig. 4 is an elevation of one form orembodiment of our invention. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of the same,taken on the line A B of Fig. 4; and Fig. 6 is a vertical section takenon the line C D of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a front elevation of another formor embodiment of our invention having two illuminated faces. Fig. 8 is ahorizontal section of the same, taken on the line A B of Fig. 7; andFig.- 9 is a vertical section taken on the line C D of Fig. 7. Fig. 10is a horizontal section of still another form of our invention. Fig. 11is a vertical section of a form of our invention which is especiallyarranged for illuminating two or more sets of letters arranged one abovethe other.

The illumination of the bright backing is effected by one of theapparatus shown in crosssection in the diagrammatic views, Figs. 1, 2,and 3, of the accompanying drawings'that is to say, by arranging behindthe cut-out wall oneor more sources of light 2 of suitable nature andintensity. These sources of light are as a general rule placed behindthe full or solid portions of the wall 1 in such a manner as to behidden from the observer and so as not to hinder in any way the view ofthe bright backing 3 showing through the cut-out letters. Small inclinedscreenso 5 may for this purpose be arranged inside the apparatus alongthe edges of the cut-out letters for the purpose of preventing thesources of light from being seen from a point of view obliquely to theapparatus. The rays emitted from the sources of light 2 are projectedonto the backing 3 either directly or by reflection or partly directlyand partly by reilection from the inner surface 4 of the wall 1, whichsaid surface is for this purpose made reflecting or is painted white orof any other light color which absorbs the least possible amount oflight and which is as much as possible of a diffusing nature. Thesources of light 2, while being arranged behind the full parts of theperforated front wall 1, may be placed (a) either in front-of the brightbacking 3, Fig. 1, in which case, the latter, being illuminated both bythe direct rays and by the rays reflected from the inner surface 4 ofthe wall 1, (along the paths shown in dashdotted lines,) reflects theimage of the said surface,which is uniformly lighted,while preservingits metallic luster, (b) or the sources of light may be arranged in thesame plane as Fig. 2 or slightly to the rear, Fig. 3, of the brightbacking 3, in which case the said backing is illumined exclusively bythe rays reflected from the surface at of the wall 1, but it will stillshine with uniform brightness by reason of the fact that it reflects, asin the preceding case, the image of the surface 4 without, however, everbeing able to give a direct image of the source of light.

We have shown by way of example several applications of the devices asspecified by the preceding general description. The luminous board ortablet having only one face, which is shown in elevation, horizontalsection, and cross-section in Figs. 4, 5, and (i, is provided with thearrangement referred to under a. It consists of a metallic case thefront wall 1 of which fulfils the function of the perforated opaque wallabove mentioned. The bright backing is constituted by the rear wall 3and is lighted by a series of electric lamps 2, which may be in anynumber, but which are always situated in front of said backing andbehind the full portions of the wall 1.

The apparatus shown in similar views at Figs. 7, 8, and 9 is similar tothe preceding arrangement; but it has two faces and is lighted by meansof the arrangement referred to under Z). This apparatus comprises twoperforated opaque walls 1 and 1, constructed according to the conditionsabove mentioned and placed on either side of an undulating or crimpedbacking 3, whose two surfaces are bright and are lighted up by sourcesof light 2 2for example, Velsbach burners arranged in the same plane asthe backing 3 and from which the rays of light are reflected upon thesaid backing from the reflecting inner surfaces of the cut-out opaquewalls 1 and 1, the sources of light 2 2 being in this case hidden fromexternal observation by the full portions of the wall 1, as well as bythose of the wall 1.

For the purpose of illuminating luminous pictures or tablets of smalllength we may employ the arrangement shown in Fig. 10 that is to say, wemay illuminate the apparatus solely by means of sources of light 2 2,placed at ends either in the same plane as the bright backing 3 (whichposition is shown in full lines) or on each side of the said plane,(which position is shown in dotted lines.) In this case also we mayemploy a bright backing 3 of greater or less curvature, as shown indash-dotted lines, in such a manner that the parts of said backing whichare farthest away from the sources of light shall be situated nearest tothe apertures with a view of rendering the hi minous effect thereof moreuniform.

clined plane, as shown at the letter U, which are designed to show upthe outlines of letters, or they may be provided with narrow slits, asshown at the letter X, with the object of simulating a relief of theletter, or they may be ornamented in any suitable manner.

In cases where the sign or luminous inscription comprises two or morelines of writing placed one above the other we employ, by preference,the arrangement shown in Fig. 11, which allows of the illumination ofsuch lines of letters by means of one single row of sources of light. Asshown in this figure, the letters which compose the lines which aresuperposed one above the other (two are shown in the example) are cutout in the opaque front wall 1 of the apparatus. At the rear of thelower line there is arranged the bright, smooth, undulating, or crimpedbacking 3, which is divided into several segments, be-

tween which are placed behind the full parts of the wall 1 the Welsbachburners 2 2, this arrangement fulfilling with respect to the lower lineof letters the same funcl ion as that which was described with referenceto Figs. 7, 8, and 9. For the purpose of producing the illumination ofthe upper line the apparatus is further provided with a backing 4 4,having an inner bright surface or of a light color or of a smoothundulating or crimped na-. ture formed of two or more flat partssuitably inclined, or it may be curved in cross-section, so as to causea part of the luminous rays to be reflected, (following, for example,the paths shown in dash-dotted line,) so as to pass out of the apparatusthroughthe cut-out letters of the upper line, and thus to represent inlight the shape of the letters of that line. This arrangement, of whichthe constructional details can obviously vary according to eachparticular application, has, as compared with the preceding arrangementsin the particular cases for which it is intended, the advantage ofenabling two or more lines of a luminous sign to be illuminated by anumber of sources of light, which number is not greater than that whichis necessary for the illumination of a single line. In this respect,therefore, it effects a considerable economy in the lighting.

Our apparatus may also be arranged to allow the device cut out in theopaque wall to be seen very clearly by daylight. For this purpose wegive to the backing 3 a color which forms a sufficient contrast withthat of the outeror visible face of the front opaque wall 1.

The bright backing 3 may be either smooth or preferably undulating orcrimped in such a manner as to produce brilliant reflexes or decorativeflashes of light. The sources of light 2 2 may be in any suitable numberand may be arranged at the lower part, half-way, or at the upper part ofthe luminous sign, as shown in Fig. 7. Our system has the advantage ofrequiring for the erection of the illuminating apparatus only a slightdepth of the case, which can in practice be reduced to a fewcentimeters. The cut-out devices in the opaque walls may, if desired, becovered with a thin plate of glass or other transparent substanceintended to prevent the wind, rain, or dust from entering the interiorof the casing.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of thisinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declarethat what we claim is-- 1. In an illuminated sign, the combination of acasing provided with apertures along one or both longitudinal faces,lamps arranged opposite the solid portions of said faces, re-

flectingsurfaces upon said solid portions, said apertures being providedwith continuous internal flanges or shields so arranged as to preventany ray of light from said lamps from striking directly through saidapertures,

